The Grapes of Wrath tells the powerful story of the Joad family’s trek from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the promise of a new life in California. They are heading west in their own starving nation, but being treated at every moment like non-resident aliens. Seen by everyone they meet as undesirables, this extended family just wants work, happiness and a small slice of the American Dream. In every community through which they travel they’re viewed as part of a terrifying wave of the needy, a disruption of normal life, something to be repelled en masse. So much has not changed in our world today. One critic reflecting on its continued relevance said: “Steinbeck didn’t want us to lose hope — he wanted us to get angry at those who would strip hope from us”.

An amateur production by arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd.